LETTERS for September 13 issue

September 13, 2012

Honolua Bay-Lipoa Point is in dire jeopardy after being taken out of "preservation" in August.

It is a place cherished and loved by thousands of people from all walks of life every month, both locals and visitors alike - surfers, boaters, joggers, fishermen and many more.

Whether you are a plumber, waiter, hotel manager, security guard or a bellman, it doesn't matter; everyone has a stake in preserving Honolua.

Does Maui Land & Pine think the people of Maui would believe this is their ONLY way to fulfill their pension obligation to their employees? There is another way. I simply cannot understand how this can be happening.

Please PRAY for these decision-makers within the Maui County offices and MLP offices to take time to consider the complete impact of their decision. You can help by visiting savehonolua.org and signing the petition at change.org (search "Honolua").

GREG SMITH, Napili

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It pays to pick up trash

On a walk from Kaanapali to Barnes & Noble, I noticed a tremendous amount of litter mauka of Honoapiilani Highway in front of the Villages of Leiali'i. It went its entire length, strewn mostly with blown waste from Wahikuli Beach Park. It made me sad.

In the middle of all that litter, I saw a green, folded lawn bag, so I picked it up and filled it up. Next, I saw a broken styrofoam cooler and picked that up, too. Then, lo and behold, I saw something else green and folded up a five dollar bill! Wow! I had been rewarded for my efforts!!

But what now? How was I going to dispose of all that garbage? Well, wouldn't you know, a garbage truck driver saw me and pulled over so that I could throw everything in! How good was that? I felt so lighthearted!

I guess it really does pay to pick up litter here on Maui, not just for what you might find, but also for the reward of other people's help with keeping Maui a truly beautiful place to live.

ELAINE GALLANT, Lahaina

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Union dues shouldn't be used to influence elections

Do you know that members of public-sector labor unions are forced to pay dues, with some of their hard-earned money going for political endorsements not sponsored by rank and file?

The U.S. Supreme Court in the Berk Decision outlawed this practice, yet it continues. Thomas Jefferson wrote, "To compel a man to contribute money for opinions which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."

Union members should have the right to object to their dues being used for political purposes. Perhaps there should be financial disclosure of union expenditures.

American firms and jobs are migrating to countries with lower labor costs and lower taxes. Manufacturing is moving to Mexico and Asia, while computer programming and legal processes are moving to India. Could unions be partly responsible?

Unions say they protect workers. I thought the laws protect workers. Union dues should not be used to influence elections.

CHAYNE MARTEN, Candidate, State House, District 10

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Make your voice heard

If you do not like the certain County Council members GET OUT AND VOTE. We CAN get rid of these politicians that are obviously paid off by large landowners!

Please make your voice heard VOTE!!!

SU CAMPOS, Napili

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Be kind to dogs

All dogs need love and attention, just like a human does. If you own a dog or dogs, please play with them, show them love, attention, and once in awhile a bath would be good. Dogs starve for affection and the human touch of kindness. Don't let your dogs run around the neighborhood looking for this attention and spooking other dogs walking on a leash.

If your only purpose for having a dog is for it to ride in the back of your truck or just leave it in the yard, then you should surrender the dog to someone who will take time. Have some treats around and toys. Animals get bored, and if they at least have a toy, then boredom will not be an issue. Get a bone from the store, which is a good source of dental hygiene for them.

Dogs have pain just like humans - not only physical pain but also the pain of being lonesome. Above all, please do not hit or yell at your dog. A dog's attention span is only so long, then something else may distract it. A command of stay should only be for 20-30 seconds and then a "free" command.

If you do not have a fenced yard, then please keep the dog on a long leash (in the shade with a big bowl of water) for not more than two hours at a time. A kind voice and praise is always welcome, and, of course, lots of play time!

TERE PATTERSON, Napili

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West Maui harbor: A reality check

I was both fascinated and perplexed by some of the assertions and comments espoused by two contributors in their letters to the editor (Lahaina News, Aug. 30) under the respective headings of "Harbor plan would sever Front Street" and "Lofty goals of Mala Wharf development questioned."

The first author asserts that the diversion of Front Street traffic by approximately 2,500 feet around the proposed harbor area would somehow affect "all of West Maui." Seriously? I am skeptical that residents from Kapalua to Olowalu will somehow be confounded over a few-minute indirect route.

The author also postulates that this additional half-mile detour will somehow take ten minutes. I can get from Mala Wharf to Kaanapali in ten minutes, so I'm not entirely sure what sort of vehicle he is alluding to.

I fully appreciate some of the reservations residents may have regarding the rerouting of Front Street traffic as part of such a project. I am merely suggesting that this particular issue not descend into fears or fantasy.

The author also mentions the effect of such a traffic diversion in the event of an earthquake (rare), tsunami or other natural disaster. I think it should be considered that the harbor would be used as a safe refuge for boats in tsunami, Kona storm or hurricane conditions. The harbor could also be used to ferry in supplies to West Maui residents in the event of an emergency closure of Kahului Harbor.

As we have received countless messages of support from local West Maui residents for the project, I must respectfully disagree with the author's conclusion that the harbor "would be nothing but a disaster for residents." He seems apprehensive about Front Street in case of a tsunami and contends that sailors are "wise enough to anchor in suitable, natural sheltered spots."

Many boats were sunk or damaged in Lahaina Small Boat Harbor, Maalaea and Kahului during the March 2011 tsunami, so perhaps just finding such "naturally sheltered spots" along the West Maui coast would not be adequate. In addition, there can be significant ecological damage inflicted when boats are habitually grounded on the reef during storm conditions.

The second writer's comments ranged from skepticism of retail competitiveness to engineering and environmental issues. While I appreciate his fervor and use of emotive terms such as "mega-harbor," and the proposition that the Jesus Is Coming Soon Apostolic Church is "known around the world from story and song" because of an obscure reference in a 1976 Eagles song, I think perhaps he is succumbing to pure conjecture.

First, the proposed harbor, with only ten acres of water, could hardly be referred to as a "mega-harbor." Second, we are aware of the occupancy rates of neighboring commercial centers. The proposed new harbor village envisions constructing 160 smaller retail units (circa 1,200 square feet) employing an architectural style reminiscent of the old Lahaina Seaman's Hospital as well as Victorian motifs to extend the best part of Lahaina's ambiance to the northern reaches of the town.

This village will also possess a competitive attribute the other centers could not equal: a harbor setting. It is our belief and hope that a new West Maui harbor could also stimulate activity in both Lahaina Cannery Mall and Lahaina Gateway.

The second writer suggests that the 16 planned condominiums were somehow being promoted as "affordable housing" - something that was never stated or implied. It is anticipated, however, that this small number of residential units overlooking a harbor in Lahaina may somehow be marketable.

As concerns the assertion that a jetty could be demolished by ocean currents or a hurricane, it is interesting to note the author's reference to Hurricane Iniki destroying the pier at Mala, and the implication that any planned jetties would suffer a similar fate. He should discern the fact that the jetties at both Mala and Lahaina Small Boat Harbor were left entirely intact after this 1992 disaster. As for the proposed jetty (and boats) ruining the "world-class surf break" at Mala, I'm pretty sure that this is pure conjecture on the writer's part. In any event, actual environmental studies would be conducted to determine the effect, if any. The configuration and positioning of a breakwater would be determined by the Army Corps of Engineers and others who would, as a matter of course, consider all issues in respect to the effect of a jetty on wave formation. It is truly remarkable that in advance of the projected placement of this breakwater, the writer has been able to ascertain its precise hydrological effects.

However, the most madcap prediction relates to the opinion that the harbor would "put every current boat owner/dweller on dry land, because they simply could not afford the fees." This is a singularly bizarre notion. No boaters would be displaced from their roadstead moorings. Does the writer seriously believe that we could somehow force boat owners to lease slips within the harbor? Utter nonsense.

The writer is of course correct that Lahaina depends on its charm and tourism. We feel that providing a unique harbor village would augment that charm and provide yet another venue that tourists would be interested in.

I appreciate hearing and reading opposing points of view. However, wild speculation and portents of doom are no substitute for a rational discussion of the issues and possible solutions. There are ample, genuine and serious matters to be considered and addressed. Therefore, the urge to create artificial impediments is not particularly helpful. The writer asks the question "who, if anyone will really benefit?" We firmly believe that West Maui residents who need jobs, boaters that need a berth and haul-out facilities, people who wish to see a Polynesian Voyaging Canoe Center and Institute of Celestial Navigation to preserve the best of Hawaiian heritage, families who wish to stroll along the harbor-side promenade at night with their children, local fishermen and other commercial operators who want another launch ramp at Mala, and perhaps even the County of Maui would benefit from increased property tax revenue. That's who.

LANCE THOMAS, Harbor Quest Hawaii LLC

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Kingdom of Hawaii speaks before U.N.

David Keanu Sai appeared Aug. 10, 2012, before the United Nations on behalf of the acting government of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He presented to 173 member states of the U.N. General Assembly a Protest and Demand, including materials documenting U.S. breaches of international law against the Kingdom of Hawaii. See the documentation in Sai's doctoral dissertation, along with the Protest and Demand, at www.hawaiiankingdom.org.

Sai told the U.N. that Great Britain and France in a joint proclamation on Nov. 28, 1843, had recognized the Kingdom of Hawaii as an independent sovereign nation state. The kingdom's sovereign independence has never been compromised by an act of war nor been relinquished by treaty; see a Hawaiian historical video at vimeo.com/14074723.

The United States of America can show no authority for its presence in the sovereign jurisdictional territory of the Kingdom of Hawaii, except for a U.S. internal public policy annexing the Kingdom of Hawaii - a policy with no effect on an independent sovereign.

This information affirms that the Kingdom of Hawaii is a coequal sovereign alongside the U.S.A. Therefore, Native Hawaiians cannot consider themselves a nation within the U.S. nation and may decide more clearly whether to participate in the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission unveiled July 20; see kanaiolowalu.org.

On behalf of all deceased Hawaiian patriots of various ethnicities, who loved the Kingdom of Hawaii so much as to move us to declare: Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono.